Those pots with a little chip outta the back or some other defect that can be hidden from view.

Would you consider using them or are you a purist who must have pristine pots at all times?

Ash

Because of the winter temps my bonsai experience (always below freezing, with the infrequent excursion to as low as 18degF), a container with a structural defect cannot be used as a "full time" home. On the other hand, I do own several wonderful display containers with flaws (typically hairline cracks). These are only used for the duration of a show and then the tree is moved right back into its normal container.

Great post, Ash!

If the chip or crack can be put in the back I am happy to use them. They certainly can be used as nice training pots.

Another thing is a glaze error. I bought a very nice pot from Dick Reyerson. He gave me a discount because the glaze had pulled away in two spots exposing the clay structure. It was a minor issue for me but a flaw to him. It is a round pot so I can rotate it out of view. The discount made the pot very affordable.

Cracked ones I wouldn't use without reinforcing the crack somehow (cement?) because I'd be afraid they'd crack in half... and I've had that happen! Didn't know the pot was cracked but luckily managed to catch the tree before it hit the ground.

Chips on the other hand aren't structural really, more aesthetic... so if I can turn the chip to the back or hide it with a cascade I'd use it

I make and sell pots, and every now and then the kiln gods burp and I end up with a second. I have a number of 'training pots' that I wouldn't dream of selling as 'firsts' because of flaws other than chips or cracks. These seconds usually have ugly glaze jobs that just wont sell or sides that warped in the firing for whatever reason. If I can sell them, they go for a heafty discount, and I use a lot of them for my own trees.

I occasionally end up with a chipped pot and have no real problems using them for training or even show if the chip is not visible, but cracked pots so often finish cracking at the most inconvenient times so I avoid using them. Even here when we have only one or two sub-freezing nights, the cracked ones just dont hold up so well. And before you ask, there really IS no good way to 'refire them and fix them' because the heat stress from the kiln is brutal, far FAR worse than freezing.

weeble wrote:I make and sell pots, and every now and then the kiln gods burp and I end up with a second. I have a number of 'training pots' that I wouldn't dream of selling as 'firsts' because of flaws other than chips or cracks. These seconds usually have ugly glaze jobs that just wont sell or sides that warped in the firing for whatever reason. If I can sell them, they go for a heafty discount, and I use a lot of them for my own trees.

I occasionally end up with a chipped pot and have no real problems using them for training or even show if the chip is not visible, but cracked pots so often finish cracking at the most inconvenient times so I avoid using them. Even here when we have only one or two sub-freezing nights, the cracked ones just dont hold up so well. And before you ask, there really IS no good way to 'refire them and fix them' because the heat stress from the kiln is brutal, far FAR worse than freezing.

I would do business with you because you are a straight shooter up front. Do you have a website where we can see some of your work.

keep it green,
Harry

I wouldn't mind seeing some of these 'seconds' myself. I was going to do this in a PM but since Harry threw it out there....

LOL Tom has the good ones listed on his site, but at the moment I dont have any seconds available. I also do custom orders, just contact Tom.

I can vouch for weeble's ability to make great pots...and that she'll do it exactly as you want .

I was wondering something. On a cracked cymbal you can drill a hole where the crack starts (terminates?) to stop it from cracking any further. I wonder if the same principle would apply to a pot? Say you had a crack going from the edge about 4 inches down, take a smalllllll drill bit and drill a hole at the bottom of the crack.. then the crack can't spread any further. Hrum?

Yeeeeaaaaah, it is unfortunately a lot harder to drill ceramics than metal. Also, a lot of the time the 'hairline cracks' are incredibly hard to see so finding the end of the crack can be darn near inpossible. To even try it you'd probably want a masonry bit, and they just don't come tiny. In other words, it might be possible, its just not practical.